Layers of single crystal gallium nitride, aluminum nitride, and other III-N materials formed on silicon substrates are applicable for electronic and photonic devices. In the prior art, silicon wafers are protected from nitridation to avoid adverse effects of silicon nitride, which is an amorphous material, on the growth of AlN and GaN layers in subsequent growth processes. However, some growth techniques, such as MOCVD, MBE, or ammonia based MBE, are not able to alleviate the problem effectively. Further, because of the relatively large lattice constant mismatch (−16.9%) between silicon and gallium nitride the straightforward or direct growth of gallium nitride on silicon leads to or results in the formation of a rough gallium nitride layer with high density dislocations. The rough layer with high density dislocations creates reliability problems for the fabrication of electronic and photonic devices. To date many different attempts to grow gallium nitride on silicon have been tried but these attempts generally are either very complicated or not very efficient.
It would be highly advantageous, therefore, to remedy the foregoing and other deficiencies inherent in the prior art.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide new and improved methods for growing a III-N layer on a silicon substrate.
It is another object of the present invention to provide for the nucleation of III-N on a silicon substrate having a REO template formed thereon.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a template for the nucleation of III-N on a silicon substrate that serves two main purposes: to prevent nitridation of the silicon substrate and to crystal lattice match the III-N material to the substrate so as to provide an epitaxial relationship.